The potential threat of mine drainage to groundwater resources
Shingo Tomiyama, Toshifumi Igarashi
Abstract
Groundwater is an extremely valuable freshwater resource for drinking and agricultural use, and its value is increasing with global population growth. One of the potential threats to its water quality is mine drainage from abandoned mines. In recent years, progress has been made in investigating the impact of mine drainage on groundwater, as the use of various isotope analyses and improvements in numerical simulation techniques are applied constructing detailed conceptual models for evaluating contamination. This review examines the case studies to date from around the world and reports on the causes and characteristics of mine drainage, the potential for groundwater contamination, and some thoughts on the actions that should be taken.